How exactly is power shared in Iran between the president and the supreme leader?
The leader is defined as the state’s highest authority. The president is the head of government. The leader is the supreme commander of the armed forces. He also holds the reigns over the judiciary, the Guardian Council, state radio and television, and the Revolutionary Guards. The leader is not elected directly by the public. He is chosen by an assembly of experts, comprising the religious leadership of Iran. The president is elected directly by popular vote. He must work with the parliament, also elected by popular vote, to formulate public policies. For most of President Khatami’s two terms, reformers dominated the parliament, or Majlis. But together, the reformist forces were stymied by the actions of the leader and the various political bodies he controls. Last year, a new parliament was elected, dominated this time by conservatives, after the Guardian Council disqualified more than 2,000 candidates for parliament. Most of them were reformers. Ayatollah Khamenei and his conservati
